This rustic beef and potato stew is squeaky-clean healthy, hearty, and requires minimal time standing over the stove. This is a great recipe for a crowd or for a week’s worth of healthy meal prep!

Rustic Beef & Potato Slow Cooker Soup

While I do experiment quite a lot in my kitchen (of which, the successes find their way on the blog here or are stowed away for a book), there are a few dishes that are a guaranteed crowd-pleasing slam-dunk. One such dish that will *always* bring a smile to my husband’s face and make him go back for 2nds/3rds, is a slow cooker stew. He just loves a hearty stew! This one is as simple as it gets. The biggest time investment is in browning the meat (which I do highly recommend) and in chopping the potatoes. After that, the slow cooker takes care of the rest!

While many stew recipes contain carrots, this one sticks to the basics with beef and potatoes. The base for this stew has a lovely, rich tomato flavor. The potato-to-meat ratio is nice and high, so you likely won’t find that you need to make an extra dish to serve alongside this soup. I also add a whole quart of healthy bone broth! You can make your own via this bone broth recipe or snag a box from the store. The onion and garlic are added to help deepen the flavors even more, while the fresh rosemary sprigs lend a truly rustic, warming feel to the whole dish.

Ingredients

The list of ingredients here is really simple and super satisfying (as the combination of meat and potatoes tends to be a comfort food go-to for me!) Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Butter – to start, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter. Feel free to use an equal amount of ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil in place of the butter if you’d like.
  • Stew Meat – the star of the show! You’ll need to grab 3 pounds of beef stew meat for this recipe. We always choose grass-fed beef when possible and ButcherBox is our very favorite way to get it. 
  • Seasoning – the only real seasoning you’ll need here is 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt (plus more to taste, if needed) and a ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
  • Onion – in addition to the above ingredients, you’ll also want to finely chop ½ of a white onion.
  • Garlic – 4 cloves of minced garlic lends such a yummy flavor to this soup. 
  • Gold Potatoes – 3 pounds of gold potatoes (cut into 1-inch cubes) add to the heartiness of the soup. 
  • Crushed Tomatoes – you’ll also want to grab 29 ounces of canned crushed tomatoes.
  • Broth – we love using homemade chicken or beef broth here (you’ll need 1 quart’s-worth) but feel free to use store-bought if you’d like (just look for one with minimal added ingredients). 
  • Fresh Rosemary – 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary add such a really delicious rustic feel to this stew, and you’ll want to have a few extra sprigs on hand to use as garnish.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice – you’ll finish everything off with 2 tablespoons (about 1 lemon-worth) of fresh lemon juice.
Rustic Beef & Potato Slow Cooker Soup

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

The process is mostly hands-off (thank you, slow cooker!), but does require just a little bit of prep. While it’s completely optional, you’ll definitely want to brown the meat before putting it in the slow cooker (this really helps to build flavor) if you have time. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to bring this stew together:

  1. Brown the beef – melt the butter in a stove-top safe slow cooker insert or in a large pot. Liberally season the beef with salt and pepper and then, working in batches so that you don’t crowd the pan, brown the beef for about 3 minutes on at least 2 sides until the beef forms a nice deep brown color, then transfer to a bowl. 
  2. Saute the onions and garlic – once the beef is finished browning, add the onions and garlic to the pan with the beef drippings and remaining butter. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, but not burned.
  3. Add everything to the slow cooker – add the garlic, onions, beef, gold potatoes, crushed tomatoes, and broth to the slow cooker base. Place the rosemary on top of the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  4. Add the lemon, garnish, and serve – just before serving, mix in the fresh lemon juice and any additional salt you think the stew may need. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary and fresh cracked black pepper, if desired. 

What To Serve With Beef Stew

With the combination of beef and potatoes, this stew really is a complete meal all on its own! If you’re looking to serve this stew alongside something else, though, we think a nice crusty bread would be really delicious. If you want to stretch the stew, feel free to serve it over rice!

Can you freeze beef stew?

You can! Just pop it into an airtight container and stick it in the freezer. To defrost and reheat, simply let it sit out (either in the fridge or on the counter) until the stew will easily come out of the container, then add it to a pot and heat it over medium heat until warmed through.

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Stew

5 from 1 vote
By Cassy
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 hours 15 minutes
Total: 8 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
This rustic beef and potato stew is squeaky-clean healthy, hearty, and requires minimal time standing over the stove.

Ingredients  

  • 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil
  • 3 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper more for garnish
  • 1/2 white onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 pounds gold potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 29 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 quart beef or chicken broth homemade or store-bought
  • 4 sprig fresh rosemary plus additional to garnish
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon

Instructions 

  • Melt the butter in the belly of a stove-top safe slow cooker insert or in a large pot. Liberally season the beef with the salt and pepper and then, working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan, brown the beef for about 3 minutes on at least 2 sides, or until the beef forms a nice deep brown color. Transfer to a separate bowl and continue to brown the rest of the beef.
  • Once the beef is finished browning, add the onions and garlic to the pan with the beef drippings and remaining butter. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, but not burned. Add the beef back in along with the rest of the ingredients, save for the lemon and parsley (we'll add those at the very end). Place the rosemary on top of the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours in the slow cooker.
  • Just before serving, mix in the fresh lemon juice and any additional salt you think it may need. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary and fresh cracked black pepper, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Instant Pot Version:
  1. Set your Instant Pot to 'saute' mode and add the oil.
  2. Add the seasoned beef and sear on all sides, approximately 3 minutes per side.
  3. When the beef has been seared on all sides, press Cancel and add remaining ingredients other than rosemary and lemon juice to the instant pot.
  4. Cover pot, lock on the lid, and set the steam release valve to Sealing
  5. Select the Meat/Stew or Pressure Cook button and set the cook time to 40 minutes.
  6. When the cooking cycle has finished do a quick release by moving the valve to Venting.
  7. Serve as stated above.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 1804mg | Potassium: 2480mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 8mg

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Calories: 588
Keyword: beef and potato stew, beef stew, slow cooker beef stew

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Rustic Beef & Potato Slow Cooker Soup


About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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9 Comments

  1. Hi! I’m making this now, but I can see when it says to add the broth or crushed tomatoes?

    1. Add the broth and tomatoes in after sauteing the garlic and onions – hope you enjoyed!

  2. When at the grocery store, what should I️ look for that’s appropriate “beef stew meat”? A roast? Thanks

    1. You can usually find either stew meat (that’s already chopped up) or any kind of a roast will work.